In collaboration with the Good Food Institute Europe, Systemiq Ltd. has analyzed current trends and data to estimate the future of cultivated meat and the economic, environmental, and health benefits it could bring to Europe.
The analysis, released today in a new report, predicts that the global cultivated meat market could reach €170-510 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, the EU’s cultivated meat potential could deliver around €15-80 billion by 2050, directly creating 25-90,000 new jobs.
However, this growth will only be possible if products achieve price and performance parity by 2035-40 and the sector overcomes current regulatory and political hurdles.
The authors state, “Cultivated meat is still nascent, however it has the potential to bring us closer to reaching taste and texture parity with traditional meat and seafood products, if some key technology, regulatory & investment hurdles can be overcome.”
EU governments need to increase investments
The EU’s potential — grounded on solid ecosystems and capabilities in science and biotechnology — would include domestic production and exports of cultivated meat and fat for hybrid products and key specialized inputs such as growth factors and equipment manufacturing.
According to the report, the EU Commission and national governments must create a supportive regulatory and policy environment to unlock the potential of novel proteins. In addition, the report suggests that EU governments need to increase investments in the coming years to build the region’s cultivated meat supply.
From the EU’s investment target of €5 billion annually, at least €500 million should come from public funding sources. The investment is advised to be distributed with a 40/60 split, prioritizing 40% for R&D and 60% for building infrastructure. “Both of these are critical to sending the right signals to private actors and unlocking private capital flows,” state the authors.
Country roles and other benefits
Based on interviews with over 35 experts in cultivated meat, scientific papers, and industry reports, also integrates a perspective on the role individual countries could play across the cultivated meat value chain. For example, the report identifies opportunities for Germany, Spain, France, and Poland to develop domestic markets and key inputs for biomanufacturing.
The report also found that the sector could mitigate up to 3.5 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions, save up to 1.4 billion hectares of land, and conserve 225 million cubic meters of water. It outlines several potential benefits of cultivated meat, such as better nutritional value, healthier fat profiles, and reduced zoonotic and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks. According to the authors, 65% of antibiotics are used in animals in Europe, contributing to antibiotic resistance. Cultivated meat can also decrease the bioaccumulation of toxins, especially in seafood.
“We have already crossed six of nine planetary boundaries”
Moreover, cultivated meat could enhance food security by reducing meat production costs impacted by climate change and resource pressures, thus decreasing reliance on imports and animal feed production.
The report states, “Under the BAU trajectory, meat consumption is expected to grow 30% by 2050 from today, but our food systems are at capacity—we have already crossed six of nine planetary boundaries, and we cannot continue to feed a growing population while respecting these boundaries.”
The full report, available in various languages, can be downloaded here.
